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Great news Trekkies, not only is Star Trek: Picard coming out with a new season in February, but it won’t be long until there’s a new season of Star Trek: Discovery as well. The adventures of Captain Burham and the rest of the crew in the 32nd Century will be continuing when Season 5 of Discovery lands on Paramount+ later this year.

Sonequa Martin Green as Michael Burnham in Star Trek Discovery smiling and looking slightly disheveled.
Image via Paramount

Related:'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 Video Goes Behind The Scenes for a Special Set Tour

What Is 'Star Trek: Discovery' About?

The series Discovery was originally set quite early within the Star Trek timeline, taking place around ten years before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series. All that changed after a time travel incident at the end of the second season which sent the crew forward in time by about 900 years.

Unlike most ships in Star Trek which use dilithium to achieve faster-than-light travel, the Discovery uses a highly experimental mycelial spore drive. This fungi-powered drive becomes invaluable when Burnham and the crew discover that in the 32nd Century, there is no more dilithium, making it impossible for most ships to even travel at Warp 1 (light speed).

When Is the Release Date for 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5?

It's been confirmed that the 5th and final season will premiere with two episodes on Paramount + on April 4th, 2024. The first two episodes will be in the US, the UK, and Canada. The entire season has a total of 10 episodes, with new episodes premiering every Thursday.

Who Is in the Cast of 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5?

Elias Toufexis and Eve Harlow and L'ak and Malinne in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5
Image via Paramount+

Sonequa Martin-Green stars as Michael Burnham. Burnham hasn’t had an easy go of it over the course of the series thus far, but the end of the fourth season sees Burnham shining in her role as Captain of the Discovery as she works to help Starfleet and the Federation rebuild. Martin-Green has received rave reviews for her portrayal of the complicated Burnham and has even won two Saturn awards. She was previously in The Walking Dead, where she played the role of Sasha Williams. Martin-Green has also had recurring roles in The Good Wife, New Girl, and Once Upon A Time. She also played the wife of LeBron James in Space Jam: A New Legacy.

Doug Jones plays the role of Saru, the previous captain of Discovery, a role for which he won Saturn Awards in 2019 and 2021. Jones is a skilled contortionist and has played roles including Abe in Hellboy and Hellboy II, the Faun and the Pale Man in Pan’s Labyrinth, and the “Amphibian Man” in The Shape of Water.

Anthony Rapp, the Broadway icon who played Mark in RENT, plays Paul Stamets. Stamets is the brilliant and intense scientist who invented the mycelial spore drive. (The character was even named after a real mycologist!) Stamets is also the first regularly appearing character in Star Trek to be openly gay.

Stamets’s husband Dr. Hugh Culber is played by Wilson Cruz. Cruz played Ricky Vasquez in the 90s teen classic My So-Called Life. He currently voices Romeo on the children’s series The Casagrandes and played Dennis Vasquez in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why.

Slyvia Tilly, the young and often naive cadet who has slowly worked her way up, is played by Mary Wiseman. Tilly is Wiseman’s most well-known role, but she also played Trinity in the dramedy Baskets, starring Zach Galifianakis, and was also in the series Longmire.

Adira Tal is played by Blu del Barrio. Both del Barrio and Tal identify as nonbinary, a first in the Star Trek franchise. Del Barrio also plays Raine in The Owl House and was recently in Steve Buscemi’s The Listener.

The character of Cleveland “Book” Booker, will also be returning for the fifth season. Book, an empath, is played by David Ajala. Ajala previously played Manchester Black in Supergirl and was also in Nightflyers.

Be sure to keep an eye out for David Cronenberg as well. The legendary director of films including The Fly, Videodrome, and eXistenZ plays the role of Kovich, a Starfleet operative with mysterious motives.

Some new actors joining Discovery for the fifth season include Callum Keith Rennie of Battlestar Galactica fame, Eve Harlow of The 100, and ShadowhuntersElias Toufexis.

Who Is the Crew Behind Star Trek Discovery Season 5?

Callum Keith Rennie as Raynor in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5
Image via Paramount+

For all the talent on screen, there’s just as much behind the scenes as well. Discovery was created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman. Fuller is the creator of iconic series including Dead Like Me, Hannibal, and the canceled far too-soon classic, Pushing Daisies. Fuller was initially set as the showrunner for the first season but eventually left the position due to creative differences. He previously worked on Star Trek series including Voyager and Deep Space Nine. Kurtzman is also the co-creator of the Star Trek series Picard and Strange New Worlds. Both Fuller and Kurtzman are executive producers for Discovery and Kurtzman is a co-showrunner of Discovery along with Michelle Paradise. Paradise has previously worked on The Vampire Diaries’ spinoff The Originals and also wrote, produced, and starred in the series Exes and Ohs.

The Star Trek franchise has always mixed the fantastical with the scientifically grounded and Discovery is no exception. The science/technical advisor for Discovery, and the rest of the Star Trek franchise is Dr. Erin MacDonald. Dr. MacDonald is an astrophysicist who has previously worked studying gravitational waves. Her books include The Science of Sci-fi and Star Trek: My First Book of Space.

Is There a Trailer for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5?

A teaser trailer for Season 5 was shown at 2022’s New York Comic Con and was then released on YouTube. While a full trailer has not yet been released, the teaser gives fans plenty to look forward to. Cronenberg’s Kovich opens the trailer by telling Burnham that “the greatest treasure in the known galaxy is out there,” and questions what she’s waiting for. The visually stunning trailer is a feast for the eyes and ears while revealing relatively few plot points. “Let’s fly,” indeed.

How to Watch Previous Seasons of Star Trek Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery, as with the other current Star Trek series, is streaming on Paramount+, making it easy to catch up if you’re a newer fan of the series, or to just do a quick rewatch to refresh your memory if it's been a while since you’ve seen the series. When the fifth season releases later this year it will also be released on Paramount+. While previous seasons of Discovery have tended to have longer seasons, ranging between 13 and 15 episodes, Season 5 will only have a 10-episode run, giving it a structure similar to Picard and Strange New Worlds.

Watch on Paramount+

Related:'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 First Image Shows Michael Burnham on a Strange New World

When Did Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Film?

After Paramount+ announced that the series had been renewed back in January 2022, pre-production began the following March and officially commenced in June before wrapping later that November.

When Is Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Coming Out?

Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham riding through the desert in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5
Image via Paramount+

An exact premiere date for Season 5 still hasn’t been announced but all signs point to late spring or summer of 2023. Perhaps a more definite date will be announced after Picard begins airing its new season in February.

So whether you’re a new or old fan, Season 5 looks like a fantastic ride, with plenty to get excited about. We can’t wait to reunite with the Discovery crew for another trip of a lifetime.